SpreadSheet or Database???

Post by **Ron P.** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 12:07 am

Hi all,

Questions:

Which would be better to use, Database or Spreadsheet?
Logging the tape count, how to do this with Digital Tape?
Recommended Applications for doing something like this..

Well I am wanting to start a log of some sort of my Home Videos, taken with my camcorder. I've labeled most of the tapes on the cassette case, with what what is on the tape. The reason for this is when I want to start a project, I want to be able to look at a log or sheet and say, Ok for this project I'm going to need these tapes, instead of picking through the tapes to see if it has the clips I'm going to need. (Are you with me or have I confused you ???)

I don't have M$ Access or Excel, just freebie stuff, like M$ Works DB and Spreadsheet. I do have Open Office somewhere too.

I built a small database in M$ Works DB, however in doing so I'm finding that Some fields are not that flexible, like a text box for Notes, summary, etc. They can't be appended. Each time I need to add something it overwrites the information in that field.

One other problem I've encountered is on digital tape, there is no "tape counter", where I can log from 00:00:00-00:05:25 is Trip to Fair, then the next clip theorictically would be from where that clip ended to the next clip. I found that with my DT, the time starts at zero for each clip.

Any advice or tips on doing this would be greatly appreciated...

Ron P.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 12:26 am

I use a Microsoft Access Database driven with Visual Basic for Applications.
Far more powerful than a spreadsheet.

Post by **Ron P.** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 12:56 am

Steve,

I have to agree that M$ Access is a very powerful program, both in it's abilities and very powerful on the wallet $$$$..

The closest thing I have to Access is an older windows version of FileMaker Pro. I more versed with it then with Access.

So for my purposes you recommend going the database route?

Thanks..

Ron P.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 1:23 am

Provided you know how to create and use the database method it is far more powerful than a spreadsheet.

Fortunately for me I was an Administrator of a large Call Centre and regularly wrote several spreadsheets and databases all driven with Visual Basic so was quite skilled in them.

Spreadsheets are great if you want to convert large quantities of data into charts, graphs and the like. A database though has far more powerful searching and indexing facilities.

Having said that though a database is more complex to create, but I have a lot of programming skills picked up as a result of starting out with a little old Dragon 32 computer over a quarter of a century ago.

In those days you had to learn at the very least the BASIC programming language but to be able to do anything worthwhile you learned Assembly Language which is 1 level higher than machine code!